Albares rejects “any use of force” in Cuba after US indictment of Raúl Castro

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has expressed his rejection of “any use of force to try to change Cuba’s destiny,” following the United States’ decision to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro for the downing, thirty years ago, of two Brothers to the Rescue planes. This measure is reminiscent of those adopted by Washington before its military intervention last January in Venezuela to overthrow and capture President Nicolás Maduro. “Our position on the current situation in Cuba is well known” and is based “on three main points,” Albares declared this Thursday on the TVE program 'La hora de La 1'. “First, we must alleviate the unacceptable humanitarian situation currently facing the Cuban population, and for this reason, Spain has already sent several packages of humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and solar panels, because the energy crisis is currently enormous,” he explained. “Secondly,” he warned, “any decision made by any country regarding Cuba must respect international law and guarantee Cuba’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” “And thirdly, only the Cuban people can freely decide their future, no one else,” he added. “Of course, we rule out any use of force to try to change Cuba’s destiny,” he stated. The indictment of the 94-year-old Cuban leader and former president comes at a time of intense US pressure on Cuba to force regime change. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called the indictment illegal, provocative, and baseless, while US President Donald Trump called it “a great day” but ruled out “an escalation.” Regarding whether the US decision could complicate dialogue with Cuba and Spain's role in Latin America, Albares asserted that “all the peoples of Latin America, absolutely all, regardless of their type of government, political affiliation, size, natural resources, or any business interests they may have, are equally important to Spain, because they are sister nations, because we form a community, the Ibero-American community.” “A community implies shared values and principles, even more so this year, in which we hold the pro tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Community, and on November 4th and 5th we are heading to the Summit of Heads of State and Government here in Madrid,” he continued. “Therefore, in Cuba and in any other Latin American country, Spain’s role is the same: I want for all the peoples of Latin America, just as I want for the Cuban people, the same things I want for the Spanish people, because they are brother nations. I want social justice, I want freedom and democracy, and I want equality, and that is why I work, and our political line will not change because of what third-party states may do, and I reject any use of force in any Latin American country,” he concluded.

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